Michelle MacLaren directs this week, showcasing her eye for staging as sequences are lavishly constructed and themes of duty and honour are brought to fruition. Second Sons focuses on minimal character tropes, a refreshing change for Game of Thrones and an ideal opportunity for lengthier sequences – a change
particularly effective in the construction of our first big wedding of the
series, the joining of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark.
After a failed attempt at murder, Arya is sulkily taken by
The Hound as they mount horse and make their way to the Tully-Frey wedding
where she will be reunited with her brother and mother. It’s a very brief
sequence, shot in beautiful scenery and perhaps a hint to the developing
relationship between the two characters. It won’t be long until Arya realises
he’s not as bad as she thinks.
Gendry and Melisandre have arrived at
Dragonstone Island – sacrifice o’clock you say? Not quite, Melisandre likes to
prep her lambs before the sacrificial ceremony. Gendry meets his uncle, Stannis
Baratheon, and is put up in a rather nice chamber within which Melisandre
spiels the importance in serving the Lord of the Light (apparently essential
for safety and salvation) and thus the relevance of his noble blood. Naturally
she de-robes and entices Gendry to bed, in which both share a brief moment of
love making before the mood is ruined to say the least. In an incredibly
unsettling moment, Melisandre, for the sake of demonstration, places leeches on
Gendry’s body, male genitalia included. Castration last week, leeches the next... I’m beginning to think Game of Thrones suffers with a mild case of
phallophobia. The leeches are then ceremoniously thrown on to a fire in front
of Stannis and Ser Davos. We do not see the outcome but it is a clear testimony
to the lengths that Melisandre will go in the act of duty toward her lord... as
if we needed any more proof.
Amidst the plan to sacrifice his nephew, Stannis is clearly
suffering with some moral and ethical issues. He visits Ser Davos, and
masqueraded as a kind gesture of freedom, reveals all to him clearly wanting to
hear that it is a bad idea. Davos unsurprisingly disagrees over
the whole scenario – you can’t sacrifice an innocent boy, especially a
relative. Stannis must persevere however, as a means of duty. Even though Davos has been the one locked up, perhaps Stannis is the man who is truly trapped – his act of duty are his prison cell bars. Also It’s ironic
really, all this worshiping the Lord of the Light but what exudes from
the above characters and their surroundings is a shroud of darkness.
Elsewhere Daenerys Targaryen and her close advisors are
investigating the “powerful friends” the Yunkai Lord referred to last week. They are
called the Second Sons, led by a particularly vile man named Meros or Titan’s
Bastard. Daenerys arranges a meeting with him, to which he brings along two
mercenaries; Prendahl and Daario Naharis. The dragons are absent but Daenerys
is by no means less confident as she bravely handles Meros’s piggish behaviour
whilst negotiating the prospect of the Second Sons joining her army. The three
men have the night to think about it and each question their motives behind
battle – money or beauty? In the end, Daario is nominated to trespass into
Daenerys’ chamber at night and kill her, as a means of solving this issue that has been placed upon them. Daario trespasses alright, right into
the middle of Daenerys’ bath time- queue gratuitous nudity and sexual tension.
He presents to Daenerys the heads of his fellow mercenaries and swears his
duty, honour and heart to her – looks like Jorah Mormont and Ser Barristan will
have another man to deal with in competing for her affection.
Samwell Tarly and Gilly are still on the run, an unnamed baby in tow. Whilst all three take shelter in an abandoned shack
over night, both Samwell and Gilly debate possible names for the new born –
some more favourable than others. Their conversation is soon cut short however
as an insurmountable horde of crows shriek almost unbearably from the
neighbouring tree. Reminiscent to Hitchcock’s masterpiece The Birds, the image
is remarkably unsettling – what are the crows doing there? It could be a
warning perhaps, for a White Walker is approaching the shack, emerging from the dank and dark woods - It’s his dinner time. The purist in me would prefer a non-CGI Walker and a more primitive approach to the look of these
beings. Their crystal clear construction slightly detracts from the eerie sensibility
that has denoted the sequence up until this point. Nevertheless, without CGI,
the dissipation of the White Walker would not really have been possible. That’s
right, after a minor blip with his sword, Samwell reigned triumphant and
defeated the White Walker with the weapon he had found previously, one that
turns out to be a bad ass obliterator.
I finish this review in King’s Landing, where the episode
showcased its greatest strengths. All of the above, as mentioned, was
constructed brilliantly. Although throughout the entirety of the Lannister-Stark wedding, the staging, shot construction and performances were on a whole other
level. In the pre-ceremony build up, Tyrion attempts to ease the situation,
promising Sansa he will never hurt her. Cersei and Marjory Tyrell engage in
a manner brimming with farce and threats, proving that Cersei's sibling affection is only served for the likes of Jaime - “If you ever call us sisters again, I’ll
have you strangled in your sleep”. As guests take their place, the ceremony of
holy matrimony begins. The snivelling Joffrey walks Sansa down the aisle and
after approaching the front, removes Tyrion’s stool to help him cloak Sansa. It
is an act of indelible cruelty and one that is masterfully included to take
advantage of Tyrion’s height. Joffrey’s mockery and the use of specific shots
emphasise Tyrion's stature and thus the metaphorical implications of the entire sequence. The overt, grandiose
staging alludes to a sense of overwhelming entrapment. The lavish and
elongated walls, windows and walkways imply the act of belittlement. In the
grand scheme of things, when it comes to duty, your life and personal feelings are
insignificant.
It is no wonder then that Tyrion has a few too many glasses
of wine at the wedding reception, in a familial arrangement so horrific, who wouldn't want to seek escapism through a drop or two. All of this of course is much
to the abhorrence of Tywin Lannister. He wants Tyrion to remain alert and sober
in order to impregnate Sansa that night, an act which Joffrey also offered to
do. I say offered... in his atypical hate-able fashion he didn't give Sansa a choice
in the matter. Amidst the food, wine and Olenna Tyrell working out how
incestuous the whole scenario is, Joffrey interrupts the frosty merriment and
suggests a “bedding ceremony”, a.k.a lets all laugh and watch whilst a very drunk
Tyrion attempts to carry Sansa to their chamber and make love. To which Tyrion
warns, Joffrey will be “fucking [his] own bride with a wooden cock” if he's not careful, whilst
stabbing a knife into the table. A thrilling moment and definitely the best
line of the episode. Nevertheless, fulfilling his “god of tits and wine”
reputation, Tyrion staggers to the chamber, new wife in tow. Whilst a drunk
Tyrion, excellently performed by Peter Dinklage, may elicit humour (which it
does), the forceful drinking before consummation is in truth, an incredibly sad
affair. Even more so, when Sansa slowly and unwillingly begins to undress. Her
de-robing intermittently cut with a confused Tyrion (battling with feelings of
lust and honour) is a wonderful moment and utterly compelling. Choosing honour
over duty, Tyrion stops Sansa and explains he will not bed her until she wants
to, but of course she never will. Gratuitous nudity not needed here, as instead we are dumfounded by a sequence brimming with pure, unadulterated emotion.
In exploring the themes of duty and honour this week, a
particularly sombre tone was set. Amidst the triumph of Samwell and a new found
fan for Daenerys, the remaining characters dealt with a manner of moral and
ethical issues. The team behind Game of Thrones are as ever proving to be
masters of their craft, and much like the Lannister-Stark wedding, each lavish
and beautifully constructed episode becomes a paradox to the increasingly
horrific. With only two episodes left, how much more horrific can it get? I
think we better stock up on wine...
What were your thoughts on this week's episode? Post a comment!
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